Each site has a similar collection of kitchen equipment that is stored in the tool trailer during the year. We are constantly improving the quality of our equipment, and removing damaged or unused equipment. Tsaile trailer
During the Prep Week before groups arrive, you will inventory and clean all of your kitchen equipment This is a great time to identify what you are missing If you need major items, call Megan Walsh and she will get you high quality items, or suggest what to purchase.
You are encouraged to throw away items that are low quality rust on baking pans, oven mitts with holes, etc. It is no use SSP has $2,600 allocated from our budget to improve the kitchen equipment this year. Spokane kitchen Volunteers in Spokane made breakfast
At the end of the summer you will do a final inventory, noting the quality and quantity of items This helps to inform what items will be replaced before the next summer
A skillet, or frying pan, is a flat-bottomed pan used for sautéing and browning foods on a stove top. Each site has two large cast iron skillets, and two nonstick pans (great for scrambling eggs). A griddle is a cooking device consisting of a broad flat surface that is heated. At SSP these are found on industrial stoves or as smaller electric griddles that you plug in and use on a counter. On the left is a commercial or industrial oven and stove top at the Smith River United Methodist Church where we will be cooking in Smith River. Notice the ventilation hood over the oven and how bright, shiny and new it is! The left surface on the stove top is the griddle.
You will use this equipment to: Scramble eggs Make pancakes Sauté vegetables (in small quantities)
Whether you are using a skillet or griddle, preheat before using. You can test the temperature by putting a few drops of water on it. The drops should sizzle and evaporate quickly. If the water pops off the surface, it is too hot. Let the skillet or griddle cool before cleaning. Quick temperature change can damage the surface.
Each site has two skillets with a nonstick coating. Be very careful when using and cleaning them. They are only one year old so they should be in good condition. If you scratch the surface (or someone else has before you), chemicals will be released into the food you are so lovingly preparing. Never use metal spatulas, forks, or knives on a nonstick coating. If you have equipment that looks damaged, stop using it, and send the office a photo of it and a replacement plan can be made.
Steel and aluminum equipment are lighter and have a smoother surface. Sometimes these have a nonstick coating on them. Cast iron equipment is very heavy and black with a rough surface. Nonstick Cast Iron
Cast iron pans build up a layer of seasoning, which is a baked-on film of oils and liquids that protects the pan from rusting and also creates a nonstick effect. If you use soap to wash a cast iron pan, you will need to re-season your pan. All pans will need to be seasoned at the beginning of the summer, and anytime one is washed with soap. Dishes in Tsaile
How to season a cast iron pan: 1. Preheat oven to 325 F. 2. Wash the with warm, soapy water, and a stiff brush. Cast iron should not normally be washed with soap, but it's fine here since the pan is about to be seasoned. 3. Rinse and thoroughly dry the skillet. 4. Using a cloth or paper towel, apply a thin coat of vegetable oil to the inside and outside of the skillet. 5. Place the pan upside down on the oven's center rack. 6. Place a rimmed baking sheet below the rack to catch any drips. 7. Bake for an hour. 8. Turn off heat and allow to the pan to cool completely before removing from oven. Additional Notes: A seasoned skillet is smooth, shiny, and non-stick. You'll know it's time to re-season if food sticks to the surface or if the skillet appears dull or rusted.
This is a kitchen at Diné College where our site is located in Tsaile, Arizona. We use two dormitory kitchens to prepare meals. They each have a home sized oven and stove top. Gavin (top) is preparing fry bread, a common food prepared in the Navajo Nation. Shaila Homan (bottom left) was a two year FSC and is the Regional Coordinator and Site Director this year in San Diego!
Sautéing (from the French sauté "jumped, bounced" in reference to tossing while cooking) is a method of cooking food, that uses a small amount of oil in a shallow pan over relatively high heat. Ingredients are usually cut into pieces or thinly sliced to facilitate fast cooking. In a sauté, all the ingredients are heated at once, and cooked quickly. To facilitate this, the ingredients are rapidly moved around in the pan, either by the use of a utensil, or by repeatedly jerking the pan itself. Only enough oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan is needed for sautéing.
When cooking for large groups, large stock pots and lids are necessary for some meals. You will also use smaller pots for preparing vegetarian options and making food in smaller quantities (i.e. gluten free pasta). This is a kitchen at Chiloquin where our site is located in Chiloquin. There are three home sized ovens and one stove top. Tables are set up and used for extra counter space.
You will use this equipment to: Cook dried beans Make pasta Hard boil eggs John Fracchiolla (Tsaile Construction Coordinator) with his cold breakfast.
Boiling water has a temperature of 212 F, and no matter how long it boils or how hard it boils, it never becomes hotter; for at that point it is transformed by the heat into steam, and in time boils away. Simmering has a temperature of between 185 F and 205 F. A simmer is sometimes called a "gentle boil." Small bubbles periodically rise to the surface the gentler and slower the bubbles, the lower the temperature. To simmer, bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a point where the formation of steam bubbles has all but ceased. You can simmer with a lid, but remember the temperature inside the pot will rise and the simmer can very easily turn into a boil.
Tip from former Food Service Coordinators: for a lot of time to boil water because these are big pots Megan and Teddy started their SSP careers as FSCs in Chiloquin in 2014, and served as Site Directors in 2016!
At SSP we cook many items in large batches in the oven. This allows hands-free cooking for larger quantities. We will practice this at training Each oven is different plan accordingly and for sites at higher elevations (Tsaile). Examples: Roasting vegetables Rice Browning ground turkey and beef Chicken Sausage and bacon Eggs for breakfast sandwiches Baking breakfast breads and cookies Rice in chafing pans
Chafing pans, baking pans, rimmed baking sheets, and cookie sheets are all used in the oven to bake with. Birthdays at SSP are extra special, and it is your job to help youth and counselors shine on their special day. This is the outdoor eating area in Chiloquin. We reuse chafing pans and double them up to provide more strength. Double serving line in Chiloquin. Sara Stewart (left) will be the kitchen manager during staff training! She has been an FSC twice.
You will use chafing pans to: Bake rice in Keep pancakes and hamburgers warm after making them Quickly cool cooked pasta and beans You will use baking pans to: Bake breakfast breads and birthday cakes You will use rimmed baking sheets to: Bake granola, pizza, and hashbrowns Cook chicken, ground meat, sausage and bacon in the oven Roast vegetables If you have glass baking dishes use them to: Store cooked scrambled eggs Metal pans can react with the eggs and cause them to turn green not very appetizing for a skeptical youth! #SSPizza Spokane on top, Chiloquin on bottom.
Never line a pan with aluminum foil before baking. This is wasteful, and often sticks to whatever you are baking. (Homemade pizza + foil stuck to the bottom = yuck!) Instead, use nonstick spray or line with parchment paper. Always spray chafing and baking sheets/pans before using. Pay special attention to the edges and corners where food often gets stuck. This makes clean up and reusing chafing pans much easier. Double up chafing pans for extra support this is especially important for cooking rice. If you have equipment that looks rusted, stop using it and send the office a photo of it and a replacement plan can be made. Serving windows in Spokane. Brennan Ackerman (3 rd from left) is the Site Director in Spokane.
Bake in oven: Rice Browning ground meat Chicken Roasting veggies Breads and cookies Boil water for: Hard boiled eggs Pasta noodles Chopping chicken to cook in oven in Spokane. Simmer: Beans Sauté Use sparingly slow for large groups!
Spoons: Wooden and metal spoons For cooking and mixing Plastic spoons For mixing and serving Slotted spoons For serving (eggs, fruit, etc.) Spatulas: Metal spatulas For BBQing and serving Plastic spatulas For flipping pancakes and serving Rubber spatulas For scraping mixing bowls and plates Other: Potato masher For mashing bananas (left!) or yams Whisks For scrambling eggs and mixing pancake batter Shaila baking breakfast breads in Chiloquin!
Rubber spatulas can save you in a number of ways: Keep the bucket line clean longer by enforcing that plates are scraped with a rubber spatula before going into the rinse bucket. Keep your drains free of food scraps by scraping mixing and serving bowls before washing them in the sink. Most sinks at SSP do not have garbage disposals. A clogged sink is a serious problem! Prevent waste by scraping mixing bowls and cooking all of the ingredients prepared. If you are going to scrape before you wash anyways, you might as well use all of the ingredients! Buckets in Spokane
SSP has invested in knifes for all of our sites. Treat them with love and care. They are professionally sharpened each year. Once trained, everyone can use kitchen knives at SSP (just like power tools). Even middle schoolers! Chopping in Smith River Chopping watermelon in Spokane
As soon as you're finished using your knife, wash it, dry it and put it away in safe place Store knives in a block Storing in a drawer will damage the blade. Store them upside down to prevent the blade from dulling every time you pull out a knife. Wash your knives by hand and dry them immediately. dishwasher. Maggie Guekguezian chopping chicken during staff training last summer. She will be an FSC in Smith River this year.
Steps to chopping: Take out all produce you will need for a meal Wash to rinse pesticides off Use a clean cutting board Use cutting board that has never been used to prepare raw meat Never scrape a knife against a cutting board to move ingredients. Use the back side instead to prevent dulling knives. Use a sharp knife Sharp knives = safe Dull knives = dangerous We will practice chopping common produce used at SSP at training. Jocelyn Hart, right, will be an FSC in Spokane. McKenna Culbertson, center, works in the SSP office!
Chop Cube Dice Julienne Mince Slice
Chop or dice: To cut pieces into irregular shapes, roughly the same in size. You can chop food into fine, medium, or coarse pieces. Cube: Ingredients cut uniformly on all sides are said to be cubed. Cut your ingredient into slices. Then, cut each slice into sticks, and cut each stick into cubes. Uniformity is important when cooking vegetables. A small piece will cook faster than large piece and will cause you headaches if some pieces are burning and Chopping in Chiloquin
Use your food processor to slice, grate, and chop for you! We will practice this at training. Use for: Grating zucchini and apples for breakfast breads Chopping ingredients for burgers and veggie burgers Making hummus! Food processing zucchini!
At training we will way of chopping melons and other produce very efficiently. Chopping in Chiloquin